5 Things to Know About the iOS 11.2.1 Update

Apple’s iOS 11.2.1 update continues its reign as the most up-to-date version of iOS though it could be replaced with iOS 11.2.5 in the near future.

The iOS 11.2 update delivers a long list of new features and fixes, but its also brought problems to many iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners.

If you’re upgrading from the iOS 11.2 update, your version of iOS 11.2.1 comes with a short change log and a tiny download. iOS 11.2.1 is only a few MB for the iPhone X, iPhone 7, and others.

If you’re upgrading from an older version of iOS 11, your iOS 11.2.1 update will be much larger thanks to the updates you skipped. If you skipped iOS 11.2, your iOS 11.2.1 update will be several hundred MB.

iOS 11.2.1 is a small download, but it could have a significant impact on your device’s performance. You could see a performance boost, but there’s a chance you’ll encounter problems. Current issues include severe battery drain, abnormal amounts of lag, and issues with first and third-party applications.

Our guide to iOS 11.2.1 includes our impressions of iOS 11.2.1 on the iPhone and iPad, information about the iOS 11.2.1 downgrade, and a look at what’s next in Apple’s iOS 11 pipeline.

iOS 11.2.1 Review

If you’re currently running iOS 11.2, you should be able to download and install the iOS 11.2.1 update in less than 10 minutes.

The iOS 11.2.1 update is just a few megabytes for most devices. The iPhone X iOS 11.2.1 update is just 68.7 MB. It’s about the about the same on the iPhone 7, iPhone SE, and many others.

All in all it took about 7 minutes for the download and installation to complete on the iPhones and iPads in our possession.

If you’re moving up from an older version of iOS , you can expect a long download time and a lengthier installation. Remember, the features and fixes from the iOS updates you skipped are baked into iOS 11.2.1.

Apple rolled out a server-side fix last week, but the company’s restored full functionality with the release of iOS 11.2.1 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

The iOS 11.2.1 update also fixes an autofocus issue on some iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models. We didn’t notice the issue on iOS 11.2, but some users noticed their camera was unable to focus properly while running the previous version of iOS 11.

Install iOS 11.2.6 for Better Security

If you're running iOS 11.2.5 or older, you're exposed to an issue that lets people send a specific character that will crash an iOS-powered device and block access to the Messages app. It can also block apps like Facebook Messenger, Gmail, Outlook, and WhatsApp.

If you're running iOS 11.2.2 or below and receive a certain GitHub link through your Messages app, your iPhone or iPad can lockup or respring. The Messages app will also become unusable.

If you're on iOS 11.2.1, your iOS 11.2.6 update includes security improvements to Safari and WebKit to mitigate the effects of Spectre. If you're running an older version of iOS, your iOS 11.2.6 update will come with a lot more.

The iOS 11.1 update delivered eight security patches including a fix for a serious Wi-Fi vulnerability called KRACK or Key Reinstallation Attack. KRACK is an exploit that targets the common WPA2 encryption protocol.

If you're just now making to move from iOS 10 (or whatever you're on) to iOS 11, your iOS 11.2.6 update will come with additional security features.